By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Cherry Hill Sun
In the midst of a $9 million deficit, Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt announced that tax bills throughout the township will again be increasing for the next quarter. A resident with an average assessed home at $140,000 will likely see their tax bill increase by about $49.
It’s an increase of about 7 cents per every $100 of assessed property value. In the wake of the tax increase, Platt said the township work force would be reduced by 10 percent, putting the total number of employees at just under 300. Since 2006, Cherry Hill has let go more than 50 employees in the face of steadily declining revenue streams and increased mandates from the state.
“During these tough times I have a moral obligation to present an austere spending plan and make dramatic cuts to our operations,” Platt said. “Since I took office I’ve reduced the size of government while trying to preserve our critical services.”
As well as the staff reduction, members of Council, the mayor, and the township business administrator plan to continue their 10 percent reduction in salary through the 2011 fiscal year.
Platt pointed to the national recession and severe cut in state aid from Trenton as the mitigating factors for the tax increase. Even with the increase, Platt said it still means Cherry Hill has the lowest municipal tax rate in Camden County.
“And while we’ve been bled of aid, Trenton has continued to raise state-mandated costs, including pension payments and payments preserving the state’s myriad unfunded mandates,” he said. “As I outlined in April, we are faced with a gaping hole in the budget and are forced to make significant cuts in our expenses to fill it.”
Several audience members voiced their displeasure over the preliminary tax increase. Resident Phil Guerrieri criticized Platt and the members of Council for not cutting the budget enough in this downcast economic period.
Only reducing township staffing by 10 percent will not make much of a difference, he said.
The Council should consider reducing the overall budget by 10 percent, he said.
Resident Bob Shinn suggested Council form a special public advisory committee to help comb the budget for unnecessary expenditures and brainstorm for additional revenue streams. He also requested that the township publish preliminary budget and township officials’ salaries as soon as possible so citizens can make educated suggestions.
“I’m dismayed to see there is a 7 percent increase in the tax levy over last year’s levy,” Shinn said to the Council.
Council Vice President Sara Lipsett apologized to the township employees that were victims of the 10 percent staff reduction. It’s never easy, she said, to inform someone their job was being cut to help save Cherry Hill funding.
Council member John Amato also urged residents to attend the Council’s work sessions if they were interested in helping the township find ways out of this budget crisis. It’s easy, he said, to criticize the work of the Council during the meetings when they don’t understand what goes on behind the scenes.
The Council holds a half-hour work session before each meeting, he said.
